By Choi Sung-jin
Last November, a citizen in Gwangju surnamed Kim dropped a 1-kg rock from the roof of an eight-story building. Luckily no one was hit, but the rock dented a car deck. Kim, 38, told police, “I lose my temper every now and then, and had to blow it off in one way or another.”
Kim knew he had problems controlling emotions but had not tried to get mental treatment. Doctors say his behavior was due to post-traumatic embitterment syndrome (PTED), whose victims believe others are persecuting them. Those with the disorder cannot shake off their hatred, anger and powerlessness for a protracted period, the doctors say.
People gripped by PTED are prone to use violence, verbal or physical, when experiencing difficulties in their daily lives and/or personal relationships, experts say.
The latest buzzword on the SNS and other online space is “brrr,” a mimetic word expressing one’s fury, which indicates how often people want to express their rage. Impulsive crimes have also long been a social problem.
A workshop, co-sponsored by the Korea Medical Association and Korea Bar Association on Thursday, focused on recognizing the causes of this problem and seeking a solution.
Experts said PTED resulted from a mentality that sought to avoid painful feelings by letting off steam instead of suppressing anger and enduring consequent anxiety, depression and guilt. The experts said modern society was contributing to the problem through undue competition, as was the reversal of day and night resulting from urbanization.
“People do not get enough sunlight during daytime, but are excessively exposed to artificial illumination at night, which disrupts the original bio rhythm and results in sleep disorders, anxiety and impulsiveness,” said Professor Lee Heon-jeong of Korea University.
A police officer said, “Five years ago or so, impulsive crimes such as random assaults on strangers began to appear. Most criminals have experienced a serious destruction of self-esteem -- ‘how dare you strangers to ignore me?’”
Other experts say the explosion of rage cannot be solved by punishing individuals. “Local administrations and courts need to work out ways to prevent such disputes through dialogue,” said Oh Eun-kyung, secretary-general of the Korea Bar Association. “Schools also ought to train students to control their emotions.”
Individuals, too, need to check their mental health, the experts say.
“Except for some individuals with serious problems, most of the people in trouble can get considerable help by visiting specialists and finding the causes of anxiety and nervousness,” said Professor Ahn Yong-min of Seoul National University. “Society should accept PETD as an ordinary mental illness like depression, and encourage diagnoses and treatment.”